French Vanilla
by maravelous
Summary: AU; All you need to be complete is an open book, a coffee, and a friend. — ShikaTema & NejiTen ; For Aniki & Nami
1. Box of Cereal

**D**edicated to **Hikoru, Aniki** and **LyricGirl16**.  
_Thank you both for all the support you've given me.  
You're both so talented, and never fail to make me smile.  
I hope you two enjoy this story, and stories to come!  
Love, Mara_

**F**rench  
**V**anilla

**N**eji:

**M**y sister just bought another box of cereal.

There she is. Standing in the doorway with the little cardboard container, the sounds of the tiny pieces of food rattling and rolling around inside like the shaking of a maraca, as she closes the screen door with her foot and closes the wooden door with her back.

She smiles at me breathlessly. The box is large, covering her chest all the way down to her pelvis. Her cheeks are pinched red from the cold, and her purse is slipping to her elbow, but she's happy. Yes, she is content, with her cereal. "Afternoon, Neji."

I nod at her from my place at the table doing my homework, watching as she hangs her coat, scarf and hat up, then turns, box clutched in her arms, and walks out of the kitchen. "I'll be in my room," she says simply over her shoulder.

"Alright…" I turn back to my Advanced Calculus as the sound of her retreating quickly upstairs fades. I sigh and shake my head, massaging my wrist.

"Weird girl…"

It's more of a term of endearment. I'm a mellow person. Calm. Smart. Straight. Seventeen years old, going on eighteen. Twelfth grade, a senior in High School. Living with my uncle, Hiashi, and cousin – I call her my sister – Hinata. And the rest is up to a pedophile to figure out.

Back to the subject on hand, Hinata's had this current obsession with cereal. It's not hidden, but it is not discussed. I suppose it's an avoided subject, or something forbidden.

I don't really want to know why she eats it so much. She goes through them like a dog in front of a bowl. It's not a diet. It's a different type of cereal each time, and most of the time it's not healthy. Although sometimes I guess she gets hooked onto a favorite flavor, then she gets sick of eating it so much and decides to get a different kind.

I also don't want to know where she's getting all the money to buy that cereal from in the first place.

Of course, it could be…

No. No, I really don't want to think about it.

**P**art **O**ne –  
_Box of Cereal_

**S**hikamaru:

**I** am so fucking lucky to have a car.

I love it. The minute I turned sixteen, my dad said to me, "Son, I have somethin' to give ya", in that gruff, fatherly voice that dads use when they're really proud of their children but they don't want to show how ecstatic they are. And he revealed to me, his car, and his retirement money.

I suppose the retirement money's a kind of threat. I'll be paying out my ass if I do _anything_ to this car. But I only get drunk on the weekends, and that's at Chouji's house, which is two places down from mine. So although I might stumble in at one in the morning, throwing up and getting screamed at by my mother _while_ she takes away all of my privileges, I still get to keep this car.

And it is, for sure, _that_ big of a deal, because today as I wait, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel at a red light, I look out and see crossing the street in front of me Neji Hyuuga, the antisocial prick one grade ahead of me.

Neji Hyuuga is, seemingly at one glance, normal. He's an honor's student. I only know him because I'm in most of his classes, since I'm an honor's kid myself. He gets good grades, even though I have to say I do just as well.

But he's a douche bag. Like a cut off your head and shit down your neck douche bag.

He only speaks when spoken to, except when he's talking with his two best friends; Rock Lee and TenTen. Those two are just as weird as he is. They're nuts. I swear. Lee never shuts up about the power of youth. And TenTen's this feminist that's obsessed with showing men that they're not the only tough ones; she's in every sport imaginable and gets straight A's. I think the three of them work a little _too_ hard.

Neji himself possesses a sort of superiority complex. Don't get me wrong, everyone likes to feel good about themselves and I'm no exception. But not like this. He needs to be the best at everything, or else he freaks out and criticizes the person that's better than him. I call this little issue obsessive compulsive disorder. Known to teenagers adjusted to slang as OCD.

So basically, he's a perfectionist. I say he's unhealthily a perfectionist. He's never late, never absent, never tardy. He never misses a homework assignment or long term assignment, never gets less than an A+ on his tests, let alone missing out on the _Nice Job! _teachers write in the top left hand corner with a squiggly that they call a 'smiley-face'.

Heh. Look at him. Another reason it's nice to have a car. It's not _too _cold outside, but it's pretty wet, and this lovely April morning it's raining freezing rain like never before. And there's Neji, walking in front of my car, the hood of that thin, forest-green zip-up jacket pulled over his head, even though his bangs, hanging out the front of it, are getting soaked. What's the point of hoods if your hair gets soaked anyways?

I watch him over the steering wheel discreetly. It's grey outside, the clouds dark and piled one on top of the other endlessly. The sun barely gets through them, but it does, and it illuminates the rain coming down in thick grey lines tapping on the guy's head. His jeans are soaked through at the bottom, and as he passes I can see a worm tackling the back of his shoe.

He has about two blocks to go.

Poor douche bag.

_**L**__augh __**t**__o __**L**__ive_

"What the fuck is wrong with you Shikamaru?! What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?! I, I can't even think of a good insult for you! You're…You suck!"

"Yes."

Sheesh. I'm in the last hour of the school day, and I usually use this class as study hall; it's Novel, so all I have to do is pretend to read a book, and when the teacher's out, have a nice chat with Chouji.

This is _not_ a nice chat. All I can do is keep nodding and saying, "Yes," as Chouji continues to rant about whatever he's ranting about. Chouji's known to be a little overdramatic about simple things, even though usually he's quite an enjoyable person.

Really. Never has the universe created a nicer teenage boy. Because the usual teenage boy is tedious, disagreeable, and violent. Not this guy. Chouji is pleasant, peace-loving, and my best friend ever. Without the guy I'd be dead by now.

But he is definitely a drama…king.

"Shikamaru, _why_?! Why, why, _why_ did you have to tell Ino?! Aw, Shikamaru, you _betrayed_ me!"

"Yes," I repeat, staring at him as he, red-in-the-face, flings himself onto the desk in front of me dramatically.

He stares back at me, then sighs and straightens up. "You are _not_ taking me seriously."

"Yes."

"Shikamaru!"

I sigh, folding my arms on the desk patiently. "Listen, Chouji," I say businesslike. "I told Ino you were hitting on her because you obviously don't have the balls to. And I say that with as much love as I can give."

"That's not _love_ that's _hate_, man! You be _hatin_'!"

"You're white, Chouji," I remind him. "You're printer paper."

"I'm just trying to get the point across! You've insulted me, Shikamaru." Chouji sits down in the seat in front of mine backwards, pulling it over so he's facing me directly. "Now, tell me again," he says under his breath. ", what did she say? What was her reaction, in perfect detail?"

"I already told you, Chouji," I say. "First she was speechless, then she said 'Really? _Chouji_?', then her pink-haired friend ran over and she kind of ignored me from there on."

"That's it? She just…Wait…_pink_ hair?"

"…Yeah. I thought it was weird too."

"Well…So Ino…She just…ignored you?"

"Yes, Chouji. She just ignored me."

I've decided that if I want to survive High School, there's one thing I have to do when Chouji is in this mood; agree with anything he says.

You see, Chouji is overweight. And he is also very self conscious. So if anyone ever mentions the word 'Fat' around him – we at our High School call it 'The **F** Word', or 'The Forbidden Word' – he _will_ explode, and he _will_ beat you to a very thin crisp that crumbles at the touch. Because, being overweight, he can smash your arm with one punch. Literally, one time this kid Naruto Uzumaki was stupid enough to say it to his face and his arm broke. They both used the 'fell down the stairs' excuse to avoid suspension, but Naruto never tried that again.

And there it is, the bell. I stand, among the other students that fly to their feet and escape out the door. "Listen, Chouji, I'm sorry, but I had to do it. You needed to tell her some day, and today just felt like the right day. I'm in a particularly good mood. So get over it, and try to figure out how and when you're going to ask her out, alright?"

Chouji groans. "…I'll call you later…"

"Alright. Sorry, man." I punch him in the shoulder, then flee to the hallway where I know for sure I'll be safe from Chouji's wrath.

Let's just hope he and Ino don't run into each other over the next…seven days, let's say.

**N**eji:

Why the hell is a blueberry muffin more interesting than me?!

Shit. Of all the god damned things on earth that could attract even the _most_ attention deficient, a fucking _blueberry muffin_ has to be the most amazing, awe-inspiring thing on the planet. To TenTen, at least.

I swear, for a week now, every day at lunch she seems to find something to stare at. Anything, just not me.

Today, it's a _blueberry muffin_.

What the _hell_ do I have to _do_?! I swear, we've been flirting since freshman year, I've _definitely_ developed _some_ sort of feelings for her, and this is _not_ making it easier on me!

"…TenTen, did you do your homework last night?" I ask, desperately searching for conversation. Unfortunately she doesn't respond. She just stares at the stupid blueberry muffin. "Ten?" I ask a little louder, touching her arm hesitantly.

With _that_, she gives a sort of squeak and falls out of her chair.

Damn. I finally get a reaction, and it has to be _this_.

Note to self: No touching the TenTen. And no use of nicknames anymore either.

"Um…TenTen, you okay?"

"I-I-I…! No! I mean, yes! Yes, I-I'm okay, just…d-d-don't…u-um…!"

Shit. Now I've embarrassed her.

Another note to self: Shut stupid mouth.

Lee, on her other side, is obviously trying very hard not to laugh. I glare at him. H's been attempting to hook the two of us up for a very long time. Not only has he not succeeded, but he's kind of thrown us to shit.

"Oww…" TenTen complains aloud, sitting up on her chair again with a chuckling Lee's help. "Sh…Shut up, Lee…"

_And,_ she's blushing. I _hate _it when she blushes. It only makes her cuter, and it makes it hard for me to think. Or speak. Or exist. And, um, self control down south is…Well, let's just say certain thoughts that I try not to stray into are incredibly hard to resist. Damn, how my mind teases me…

"Uh…you sure you're alright?" I try. I mean, I'm not about to make her think I'd just let something like that wash down the drain without worrying about her.

"…Yes," she mumbles. She's not looking at me, and she's still blushing, and she looks so embarrassed that she's probably ready to die about now. But at least she's saying something articulate.

Wow, this life.

**S**hikamaru:

So most people shouldn't have to hate their own genius. It's a skill, an ability, a natural talent gifted to me by the genes somehow combined by my mother and father. It should be a technique used to win the heart of the gorgeous upperclassman named Temari that I am, for some reason, self consciously obsessed with.

Unfortunately, it seems to be a turn on, that she loathes. Yes, it's obvious she's interested in me. I often make her blush, I catch her checking me out (this pleases me), and sometimes we have these _moments _where we both can't help but smile at each other.

But most of the time, she hateloves me. I dislike making up spontaneous and obviously inexistent words, but certain situations deserve the unthinkable.

"How do you determine the abundance of boron-10 and boron-11 to the nearest 10 percent?" Asuma asks. I look up. Great, another question. "Anyone?" The classroom is silent. Everyone stares at the chalkboard expressionlessly. "Temari, you're smart. How about you?"

I look over to her next to me. For some reason, the teachers seem to have it out to make our lives terrible; they _all_ stick us next to each other in each class we have with each other. It's like an inside joke between them all.

Temari raises a perfect eyebrow. She really is beautiful. Sandy blond hair, usually pulled into a high ponytail, sky-blue eyes, not to mention a perfect body. "Um…I honestly have no clue," she says, shaking her head and glancing down at her notes.

Asuma sighs. "Alright…Shikamaru, wake up."

Damn. I'd hoped he wouldn't call on me today. Temari looks at me blankly, and I avoid her gaze quickly. "I am awake…"

"Oh, right…Well then, can you please tell the class how to determine the abundance of boron-10 and boron-11?"

I sigh. "To what percent again?"

"Nearest 10. And please explain _thoroughly_, not one of your one-word answers."

Ah shit. Come on, that's not making my life easier.

"Come on, I know you know the answer."

"…Fine…" Here goes…"The atomic weight of boron is 10.81, an average of the isotopic mass of boron-10 and boron-11. So the equation goes 'abundance of boron-10 multiplied by the isotopic mass of boron-10 plus the abundance of boron-11 multiplied by the isotopic mass of boron-11. You can go from there by multiplying by a rough two digit number each boron-10 and boron-11, so you should get a few decimal numbers, then solve the equation for x."

Asuma nods. "Very nice. Now, to go over the steps on the board, we should get…"

As he rambles on, and all the students shift focus to the board interestedly, Temari glares at me. I glance at her as coolly as I can. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing, you're just a showoff as usual," she mutters, turning away from me huffily and rifling through her notes aimlessly.

I roll my eyes. "And you're just touchy as usual," I say under my breath.

"_What_ was that?"

"Nothing, nothing…"

"No, you said something. Repeat it, please."

"No, I'd rather not."

"…Go die."

"...I'd also rather not…"

"Oh…Oh just…just shut up!"

"But you-!"

"Shut up!"

"Temari, Shikamaru!" We both snap our heads up to Asuma, who frowns sternly at us. "You can flirt _after _class. Right now, pay attention."

I hate being amazing…

**N**eji:

Coco Puffs? Is she _serious_?

I have never wondered this before, but I just have to know if…something is _wrong_ with Hinata. Is she sane? I mean, Coco Puffs? Why? That bird on the front of the box, it…it freaks me out. It isn't…_right_.

I stare at it now. The stupid grin, the obnoxious color of the feathers. I watch Hinata, trying not to let my mouth drop open in astonishment, as she closes the door behind her with a quick snap, holding a fresh steaming coffee in one hand clumsily as well. I guess she's gotta wash down the Coco Puffs with _something_.

She turns around and gives me this beaming smile that would melt any frozen heart.

Well, at least she's happy…

"Studying?" she asks sweetly.

I smile back at her and nod, holding up my book. She's a nice distraction from my homework too. "Mhm. Are you done studying yourself?" How easy it is to look on the bright side of her. No wonder she's my favorite…

"Yes. I'm talking to TenTen right now online."

I stiffen, as if petrified, in the process of rifling through my binder. Great. I forgot that she and TenTen had gotten so close. TenTen does come over quite often with Lee, and I hold Hinata closest to my heart. It is undeniable that she and my two best friends would spend a little more time with each other than I intended…

Which means…which means that Hinata and TenTen might talk about me. No, they _do_ talk about me! It's obvious, _I'm_ the one that holds them together like glue, or the sticky oatmeal that Hinata makes me for breakfast occasionally. Which means I not only have to impress TenTen, I have to impress Hinata as well, so Hinata can pass on the information to TenTen and impress her even _more_. That's how it works, right?

And so I have to say something intelligent in response to that, something that makes me out to be someone casual and mature. I have to say something interesting, yet calm. Something that'll make me out to be someone TenTen won't be afraid to talk to. Someone she'll _want _to talk to!

"…S…Splendid."

Crap.

Hinata giggles cheerfully. "You're strange, Neji. Well, study hard."

"Y…Yeah…" She begins to waltz out of the room, and I let an insuppressible groan escape me. Unfortunately, Hinata seems to hear it, for I notice her light footsteps tapping right back in.

"Neji? Are you alright?" she asks, and I turn around in my chair to see her large eyes staring at me, shining like a deer in headlights.

"…Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…having trouble studying," I excuse myself, thinking quickly.

She tilts her head to the side oddly, then smiles, an idea seeming to come to her. "You know what you need? You need a coffee."

I blink. "I…need it?"

"A coffee dissolves even the most stressed out college students of their troubles," Hinata explains wisely while skipping over to me, the cereal box shaking merrily. She sets the coffee down in front of me daintily, then steps back. "So, there you are. It's French Vanilla. Enjoy."

"Wait, um…isn't this yours?" I ask, bewildered, as she begins to walk away.

She looks over her shoulder with a carefree shrug. "It's alright, Neji. I'm full anyways."

Then why does she eat all that cereal…?

"Goodnight, Neji." She retreats up the stairs to her room with her box of cereal.

I stare after her. The house is silent, except for her footsteps above me and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

I reach over to grab the coffee and take a sip thoughtfully; it's delicious, surprisingly. I usually don't like coffee. And Hinata was right; I honestly feel a little better now…

"Ouch!"

Suddenly, Hinata's little sister and the youngest member of the household, Hanabi, scrambles into the room, clutching her stubbed toe. Cup to my lips, I try my hardest not to choke on my second sip of the thick, sweet coffee; Hanabi is dressed in a sparkling purple tutu and is wearing a coconut bra on top of it. She runs past, hopping on one foot and still clutching the injured toe, falling over herself and stumbling into the stairway, then disappearing from sight.

I slowly set the coffee down on the table again and heave a great sigh before picking up my pencil again and staring down at my homework, shaking my head.

"Weird girl…"

_**E**__nd __**P**__art __**O**__ne_


	2. Thus Zippered

**F**rench  
**V**anilla

**S**hikamaru:

**S**ometimes, I have to wonder if the world is out to get me.

What did I ever do to deserve this luck? I _hate_ snow. And I hate driving in it even more. It's cold, it's wet, it makes driving so much harder and slower. And I'm usually a speeder, mind you. The sky is always this gross, pearly white filled with heavy, dark clouds when it's snowing. I miss the small, thin, fluffy white ones that look like dead sheep floating around in the troposphere. April is supposed to be full of _showers_, isn't it? Not snow. Where are the May flowers gonna come from, huh?

_"Yep, it really is snowing out there. And a temperature of only fifteen degrees!"_

I groan aloud and turn my car's radio louder, trying not to believe it. Damn. Winter obviously doesn't want to leave, and spring had better be well worth the wait.

I splash through a puddle of slush, and the mud sticks to the side of the car. "I'm gonna have to clean that later, aren't I?" I mutter to myself, slowing as I get to a red light and stop behind a small black convertible.

I frown distastefully at the shininess of the thing. I don't get jealous much, but…

Hey, where's Neji?

I squint past my rapidly swinging windshield wipers to the crosswalk. No one's there. I lean to the side a bit, to see past the cars to the other side of the street. No one.

That's weird.

I check the clock. 8:25. Well, this is the normal time, right? It's always the same. I'm always at a red light, Neji's always walking the crosswalk. The same time, every day. Except, not today…

Well, he probably woke up late or something. Heh. I can't help but smile delightfully as I imagine the usual smug look on his face twisted into one of horror as he finally gets caught messing up.

But no, no…Neji's never late. Not to anything, he's _always_ prepared. I mean, I bet he wakes up hours earlier than he has to leave, _three_ hours…_five_ hours! That's just the type of arrogant douche that he is!

Well…he's probably sick.

The light turns green, and I quickly step on it. He _does_ seem to have bad health problems, he's always sneezing and coughing in class. The gross dude gets other people ill just coming to school.

I blink in confusion. But wait…he comes to school sick. He would never stay _home_ sick.

_"The sidewalks are especially dangerous, we exercise caution while walking outside. Numerous reports of broken bones and other injuries from slipping on the ice have already been sent in."_

I bite my cheek. What if Neji slipped and fell and broke a leg or an arm or something? Or maybe he hit his head, and he's just lying there. And since it's snowing so heavily outside, it might be hard for anyone to see him…

"No," I say to myself suddenly, shaking my head. "Calm down, man. You need to concentrate on your driving." I stare straight out the windshield. It's too dangerous to be thinking about jerks like Neji. Who cares, anyways? He can drag himself back to his house and ice himself up.

But wait…what if that's not the problem? My fingers tighten on the steering wheel. What if the cold got to him? People have been careless, they're starting to wear less clothing now that it's April. What if he got sick, and passed out?! He does have a low immune system after all!

"_No_," I repeat firmly to myself, narrowing my eyes through the windshield. "No, no, no. That didn't happen. And even if it did, who cares? It would serve him right. Besides, it's not like he's gonna die. He only has to walk a few blocks, what could happen that close to his home?"

_"You're right, it has been a cold year. I mean just last month, didn't someone freeze to death just outside their house?"_

"Damn it!"

I pull into the next parking lot I come to, but then I stop. "No, no…I don't need to go help him. That's what his silly little friends are for, right? Lee and TenTen. _They_ can help him."

But they're usually _late_ to school. And by that time, Neji might be dead…

"Well…what can _I_ do?!" I snap aloud to myself. My fingers drum anxiously on the steering wheel. "I don't know where he lives!"

Oh crap. I _do_. I remember where he lives perfectly. A block behind my house. Chouji had to drop off a book that he'd borrowed from Neji there, and he'd forced me to come along, claiming he was a little too scared to go to the guy's house alone.

"But…I don't have to…" Struggling with myself, I finally come to the conclusion, and heave a great sigh.

"Why do I have to be such a good person?"

This is why I hate listening to weather stations…

**P**art **T**wo –  
_Zippered_

I can't believe I'm doing this. I feel like the biggest idiot on the planet. At least at the moment. I'm bending over in front of Neji's house. Digging through piles of snow that look remotely like a human being. I think I've gone insane. I mean, once I saw a stick that looked like his shoe and started freaking out. Then I saw a wet leaf and thought it was his eye.

Hey, does that look like a finger…?

I run over, grab the yellow broom handle, and…

Ah. Alas, it is a yellow broom handle.

"I am such a-!"

Before I can utter the foul word, someone behind me says calmly, "Can I help you with something…?"

Jumping about a foot in the air I twist around and stare, curse word still sitting on the tip of my tongue, at a man the resemblance of Neji fifteen years in the future. He's still in his bathrobe and slippers and appears to be quite confused, and warily curious.

"U-Um…" I clear my throat; the guy scared the shit out of me, my voice is completely cracked. "Um…Sorry to wake you…"

"I was already awake, eating breakfast," he says slowly. "Now is something the matter?"

"…Why do you ask…?" I try carefully, attempting to befuddle him and make a quick escape.

"You're digging around in the snow in my front yard. I believe I have the right to ask many questions."

I straighten up sheepishly and wipe my hands on my coat. Screw it, I guess. "Uh…I'm looking for Neji," I explain blatantly. God, I sound like such a freak of nature.

The elder man raises one eyebrow peculiarly. "Neji? Isn't he walking to school?"

"No, and that's why I came here," I say in a rush, backing away. "But, I guess that's okay, because he's probably there already and-"

The man, who had been thinking silently for a while, suddenly sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose wearily. "Ah…I knew something was wrong."

I freeze. "…Is Neji…okay…?" I ask carefully. I can't believe it. What if he got really, really sick? What if he can't come to school anymore? What if he has to stay in the hospital, and miss all that class work…?

That means _I'm_ the best! Sweet!

"I didn't hear his alarm clock go off this morning."

"…Oh…"

Darn. So close.

"Well, um…" I cough nervously. The guy's eyeing me strangely. "I'll just let you…"

"Come inside."

I blink in surprise. "Um…what?"

"You can wake him up," the man says easily. He turns his back on me and opens the screen door. "Hurry up, the cold's coming in."

"B-But, wouldn't you want to…?"

"I think it would be better if Neji awoke late to a friend than me. Especially since he gets quite frantic when woken."

"Um…I'm not really-"

"It's Lee, right?" He suddenly turns again, and I open my mouth in confusion.

"…What…?"

"Neji's always inviting you over, if I remember," the man continues of his own accord. "Well, come in Lee. Of course there's no invitation needed, you're like family to him. He's always talking about you, and that TenTen. Ah, how he obsesses over TenTen. She thought he was funny at lunch, she nearly killed a guy that made fun of his eyes, she ditched a few girly acquaintances of hers to hang out with Neji instead…Every day it's something different!" He smiles. "Of course, you already know. No doubt he bothers you much more than he bothers me."

"…Wait, no, I'm not-"

"Well, come on inside, Lee."

"But I'm not-"

"I said…" He suddenly turns to face me with this terrifying, icy white glare. "…come in. Lee."

…Oh.

I get it.

He really, really doesn't want to wake Neji up, does he?

I slowly walk forward and climb the porch steps. For some reason, I can't shake, as the man closes the door invitingly behind me, the sickening feeling that every step I'm taking is taking me closer to my most certain and bloody doom.

That, or I'm gonna have some wicked blackmail material…

"Please wipe your shoes on the mat just outside the doorway," the man says politely, and I do so quickly; I really don't feel like disobeying cold eyes such as his. As I do so, I look around. So, this is the inside of his house. I remember being surprised when I'd seen the outside of his house for the first time. I expected him to be rich. But with a house almost as small as mine, it's obvious that he's only average.

The inside of his house is warm. It's filled with a plushy cream carpet, blending nicely with the beige wallpaper. There's a small table with a chair in front of it in the little living room we're in, and I can see some papers and pencils on it. That must be the altar where he worships his giant head. AKA, where he does his homework.

"Neji's bedroom's this way, Lee."

"…Okay…" I say simply. I've kind of given up on convincing him that Lee is not my name, or that I'd rather die than be turned into that hyper, overactive kid. He leads me through the room and around a corner into a carpeted staircase. We climb, and arrive in a narrow hole…I mean hall.

He stands to the side at the top of the stairs and points to the left. "Three doors down. Just open the door, give him a shove, and explain."

"…Okay…" I repeat, and I follow his directions. I get to the third door, at the end of the hall, and take a deep breath. I glance once more over my shoulder. The elder man is gone, and I turn back to the door. Is it just me, or is Neji's family creepier than I thought it would be?

The door is already slightly ajar for some reason. I open it more hesitantly. The light from the hall escapes in a golden sliver, spilling out to enlighten his bed on the far side of the room.

As I expected, his room is perfect. I walk inside slowly. It's organized, no CD's or random items of clothing littering the ground like in mine. The floor and walls are spotless, and as I glance to his bed, it looks like no one's even been sleeping in it. Or as if he hasn't moved. He lays on his back, his arms draped over his blankets and his eyes closed peacefully, oblivious to the light shining through the door onto his face.

What a freak. He's almost too perfect for a normal human being. I know that when _I_ wake up, I find myself sprawled across my sheets, there's drool on my pillow – which, along with my sheets, is usually about to fall off the bed – and my hair's a mess. It _should_ be the same for every other guy, right?

Dude…maybe he was born a chick…

The next thing that happens, I dunno what comes over me, I'm slamming my hand down on his chest.

Maybe to check if he's a chick…

And, getting over my random spasm-like movement, I shake him harshly. Once, twice, three times, before his eyes snap open, and he gives a loud, surprised yell.

Okay. No boobs. But how is that reaction _not_ a girl's?!

He sits up straight and jumps backwards on his bed, a little too far; he falls off of it immediately, bringing a sheet down with him, which flails in the air for a second before tangling around him.

Raising an eyebrow, I say carefully, "Okay then…" and back away; his dad was right, he _is_ frantic when woken. In fact, I'd say he's practically hysterical.

Neji groans from the ground furiously. "Lee…What're you _doing_ here…?" he slurs wearily.

I wince. Not again. "Look, Neji, I'm not-!"

"My alarm clock didn't even go off yet!" He slowly pulls himself back onto the bed, hands grasping the pillow to assist. "You must have gotten up at one or something…"

"No, I'm not-!"

"Okay, if you want another 'Deadly Match Between Rivals' or whatever you call it, it can _wait_ till _later_!" Finished climbing on the bed, he leans his head against the wall and drags an arm across his eyes sleepily.

"Neji, would you-?!"

"I mean, arm wrestling in the morning?! Seriously?! You've gotta be-"

"Would you just _listen_ to me?!" I yell loudly, interrupting Neji, who freezes.

"…Lee…?" Neji asks tentatively.

"No."

There's a snapping sound, and a small lamp on Neji's bedside table blinks into life, illuminating the entire room. Neji closes his eyes immediately, and I wince a little as well. I look around, and my mouth falls open in astonishment.

I was wrong. I guess he is a little sloppy, it's just been hiding in the dark shadows around the room. Along with a few other 'treasures'.

A pink and purple CD, with _I'm a Princess _printed in huge white letters against a picture of a sapphire blue unicorn, is on the ground, along with a sparkly purple tutu.

I honestly don't know what to say.

So I say the only thing logical in this situation.

"What?"

Neji looks at me. Really looks at me. He squints, then he widens his eyes, then he rubs them, then he squints again.

And then, he glares.

_O-_kay, I think the feeling's mutual from his end. He's even scarier than the elder.

"_What_ are you doing in my house?" Neji asks in a dangerously low and quiet voice. "In my _room_?"

"U-Um…" I clear my throat, then frown. Wait a minute. This is _Neji_. He's nothing _dangerous_.

I glance down at the CD and look back at Neji easily. "Take a chill pill, gangster," I say calmly, raising my hands in mock surrender.

Neji raises an eyebrow, then looks down at the CD. "Wha…? …That's not mine, that's Hanabi's," he says. He looks at the tutu and sighs. "And so is that."

I groan inwardly. There goes my blackmail material.

"Well, uh…I'm here to wake you up," I say conversationally.

"What are you talking about?" he mutters. "Are you…?" His eyes suddenly stray to his alarm clock. We both stare at it.

The screen is dark black. No numbers, no nothing. And the plug, is out of the wall.

"…Hanabi came into my room last night…didn't she…?" Neji whispers to himself as if in horror.

"…I guess so. And _you're_ late," I say proudly.

In less than five second's the lights are on and Neji's throwing clothes out of his closet. I dunno how he got all the way across the room and back that fast, he was like a fucking blur.

I watch him choose an outfit. Sheesh, he's picky.

"Um, Neji…" I hold a hand up as I call out to him, trying to remind him that he's late and he doesn't really have time for this.

But I didn't see the jacket coming.

It soars through the air, the zipper out, and lands on my hand, slipping through my fingers.

And the zipper digs into the thin and delicate skin between my thumb and pointer finger.

It all sinks into me in three terrifying steps.

First, I hear a loud, sickening snapping noise coming from my hand that makes my heart skip a beat.

Second, I see the blood oozing steadily from my hand to drench the pure white carpet beneath me red, and the bones and tendons inside of my skin burst forth grossly.

Third, after a long moment where I just stand there frozen and the jacket falls to the ground away from me, after a long moment of feeling nothing, actually, just complete numbness and bliss, I feel the worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life.

"Oh _shit_!"

Neji whips around, and, catching sight of me clutching my wrist and gaping down at my shaking, bleeding hand, drops his jaw.

"Holy…!"

You know, sometimes I wonder if the world is out to get me. Then I think to myself, what a silly thing to wonder!

Of course it is.

**N**eji:

What if I tore his thumb off?

What if he's never able to use his hand again? Or his _arm_?

What if that's his _writing_ hand? It _is_ the _left_ hand, and sometimes people are left-handed, you know. _I'm_ left-handed.

Sitting in the hospital between Lee and TenTen, after watching a very gloomy Shikamaru getting his hand disinfected, examined, and stitched, I go over all the 'What if's' one more time.

…What if I killed him…?

"Lee. Murder me," I say, bending over so my forehead touches my hands on my knees.

"…Why…?"

"Lee, you're not actually thinking-!"

"Of course not, TenTen, Neji has not challenged me to anything that would require me killing him!"

I close my eyes and inhale the foggy scent. In between my palms is a warm cardboard cup of coffee, given to me by TenTen. She and Lee had come straight over after I'd responded to their texts asking where I was as I wasn't at school. They'd basically ditched in passing time and drove over in Lee's car. Why? I'll never know. Lee's an impulsive kind of guy, and TenTen hates being left alone.

TenTen sighs aloud, then I feel a hand land tentatively on my back. "Neji, it's okay. So you snapped a few tendons and broke his wrist. It's nothing _permanent_."

"I broke his wrist…" I groan into my knees.

"But it was an _accident_, Neji," TenTen insists. "Accidents happen."

Not these kinds of accidents. No, it's just…me. I have the worst luck in the world. The _worst_.

After a small moment of silence, and me trying to figure out the best way to commit suicide, Lee says exasperatedly, "If you feel bad about hurting Shikamaru, Neji, then why don't you go in and apologize?"

…Wow. For once, Lee suggested something reasonable.

"And then you may conquer him at last!"

…Or not.

**S**hikamaru:

So, here I am. Sitting on a bench. Trying not to throw up. Could they at least give me some more of that laughing gas? That stuff was fucking amazing, it was like I was _high_. But damn, am I lucky. They said it'll heal. In like a year, and after many appointments of physical therapy, but still. It'll _heal_. For a second there, I thought I was dying, that's how bad the pain was. Then Neji started freaking out and dragged me to the hospital in my car (I don't know where he learned how to drive, but he's terrible at it), while wrapping my injury with paper towel. _Paper towel_. I know, right?

The nurse told me to wait on the bench outside the ER until my mom picks me up. I haven't called her yet; I'm kind of preparing myself for the worst. I'm not allowed to drive myself home until my hand heals, and my dad's gonna have to stop by later to pick up my car from Neji's house.

Thus, I am crippled, and I am sad.

"Um…"

I look up. "Neji?"

The kid walks through the glass doors from the hall outside. "Hey…" he says awkwardly. He looks nervous. Well, I can't blame him; if I had my hand back I'd probably throw something at him 'accidentally'.

"What do you want?" I ask as stoically as I can; I don't wanna seem immaturely rude. But maturely rude is fine with me.

He sighs, and walks over and sits down next to me. "…Well, first of all, I brought you a coffee."

I blink and look over at him. He holds out casually in his left hand a fresh cardboard cup of coffee, another one in his right. When he glances to the side and sees my questionable stare, he sighs. "TenTen got it. She came over here with Lee. Thought you might want one too."

I don't take my eyes from it. Though it goes against every one of my incredibly reliable instincts to never accept anything edible from Neji Hyuuga, that coffee looks, and smells, incredibly tempting.

Neji watches me, then rolls his eyes. "I didn't poison it."

I take the coffee slowly from him with a pout to my lips. "Well how would I know, you already tried to kill me," I say without thinking.

Neji's reaction is not what I expected. I thought he'd be silently and arrogantly amused at that, but no; he suddenly groans and slams his forehead down into his knees.

My eyes widen as he almost drops his own coffee. "Um…don't kill _yourself_, it's not that big of a deal…" I say quickly as he grabs his head with his hands.

"You don't understand, when I feel guilty I don't stop!" he says, voice muffled by his jeans.

"Um, you really don't have to…I mean, it was an accident," I say as reasonably as I can. Tentatively, I reach over and grab his collar, then hoist the kid into a sitting position. He just lets me gloomily, and runs a hand through his hair. Wow, never thought I'd see the great Neji Hyuuga in such a state of anxiety.

He looks at me in glum expectancy, and I clear my throat. "Don't go killing yourself over me, that's all," I say simply, noticing the red mark on his forehead; is that a bruise? "It was an accident."

He sighs, then suddenly holds out his free hand. I look down at his palm; pale and smooth, not like my own calloused ones. With what seems to be much effort, he says slowly, "I'm sorry."

I stare at him in surprise, then turn away thoughtfully. I've never heard those words come out of the Hyuuga's mouth, let alone words coming out of the Hyuuga's mouth that sounded so sincere. Huh. Maybe I should make him feel even _more_ guilty. Maybe I should use my bad hand, and he'll grab it and I'll say, "_Oww_, you _jack_ass!" and he'll die a little inside as I laugh…

I smirk and take a sip of my coffee. It really is delicious. Is that French Vanilla?

"It's okay."

Oh. Of course. I just _have_ to be the _good_ one in _every_ situation, don't ? I glower as I grab his hand with my good one, and we shake once.

He looks considerably relieved, and he relaxes a bit with a sigh. "I'm glad I got that off my chest…" he says distractedly. I resist the urge to glare at him; it's not like I _enjoy_ seeing his content.

"…Neji…?" Suddenly a head pops around the door to the hall. Neji looks up, and I see the girl walk all the way in. She's a tiny brunette, and not that bad looking. I glance between them as she walks over. She seems like she's pushing past some sort of invisible barrier to get to him, and he's watching her with a friendly smile and a fond look in his eyes that I can't really place.

She stops about two feet away from him. "...Um…Lee and I are gonna go now, if that's okay with you…" she says, not looking at him. "We thought-"

"Neji! Neji! Guess what!" Suddenly a black-haired boy comes dashing around the corner, a huge grin on his face, and he skids to a halt about two _centimeters_ from Neji, flinging TenTen out of the way like a ragdoll.

"Lee!" Neji cries aghast as TenTen stumbles trying to keep herself up.

"Yes, it is me!" Lee cries. "So guess what! I was throwing away the – oh, hi TenTen – I was throwing away my coffee cup, and I saw-!"

"Lee, that _hurt_ you jackass!"

"AGH!" Lee yelps as TenTen slams his head into the bench next to Neji furiously. "We're _going _Neji_, goodbye_!" she declares in a terrifying wrath as she pulls Lee from the back of his collar away from Neji and throws him ahead of her, where he bounces around, recovering as he wipes his nose with his sleeve, then bounds away through the doors yet again.

I was right. Everything I've ever said about those three was totally right.

I watch TenTen in bewilderment as she's about to walk away, but suddenly Neji, who seems to be recovering a bit himself, says in concern, "Wait, you're bleeding!"

She pauses. "Huh?" She looks over her shoulder, and Neji points at her cheek. She blinks and puts a finger there, then laughs almost shyly. "O-Oh! No, um, that was a paper cut from a day ago, I did that to myself…"

"…Oh. Okay." Neji frowns. "You shouldn't have given Lee coffee. You know what it does to him," he continues sternly.

She bites her bottom lip, swinging her hands in front of her innocently. "Sorry…"

He shakes his head. "Yeah, well, I only thought he'd hurt you. Go back to school, and be careful with the idiot."

She suddenly smiles at him, and all firmness from the boy next to me is gone. "Okay. See ya later, Neji…" TenTen says with a brave attempt at cheerfulness, and she slides through the door yet again.

Neji watches her go with these gooey sensitive eyes, and I finally clear my throat to snap him out of it. He glances at me, and I smirk at him. If this isn't blackmail material, I don't know what is.

"Dude, you're infatuated."

He drops his mouth open for a second, staring at me as if he thinks I'm joking. He shakes his head. "Wh…What…? I don't know what you're talking about…"

I roll my eyes. "That was _sad_ though, really. If you want to flirt with her, you're gonna have to use a better method."

"Wait, wait, you don't know what you're talking about, okay?!" Neji snaps.

I sigh. "Listen. I know when someone's in love with someone else, alright? Especially when it's completely sickening, like it is between you two."

"I'm not-! …Wait…between _us_?"

"Is it not obvious to you that TenTen feels exactly the same for you?" I ask patiently, meanwhile wondering how the hell a guy like him can sometimes be so damn stupid.

Neji stares at me blankly. "No. It's not," he says slowly. "But…now that you mention it…" Suddenly, he freezes and stares at me. "…Wait…you!"

"Me?"

"You're going to go blackmailing me, aren't you? Ah, shit…" Neji presses his palms into his forehead. "I knew it. Ah, well, I deserve it."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going to blackmail you, I'm not that heartless," I say, watching him. Damn it. He guessed. Oh well, I'm satisfied. It's kind of fun to see this cool, stoic guy get all distressed like this.

"Well, if you decide to in the end, listen…" He faces me firmly. "I don't care what you say about me. But don't embarrass TenTen."

…Whoa. Okay, never mind. Stoic? Maybe not. Maybe he's just…

Well, maybe _I_ just…never gave him a chance…

"…I won't. Because…" I say slowly, very warily; not even believing I'm saying it. "…Because I know how you feel."

Neji blinks. "…You do…?"

"Yeah. See…there's this girl…"

I've never told anyone about my feelings with Temari. Not _anyone_. Not even Chouji, who rants to me daily about how he feels about Ino. Not even my good friend Naruto, who ran up to me one day freaking out because he had a wet dream about another guy. But here I am, reciting it as if from a schoolbook to the one guy I never thought I'd ever say more than five sentences to in my entire life that weren't lethally insulting.

"Wow…" Neji says once again, facing forward again. I do the same almost nervously; what if I can't trust him? What if that was a mistake? I watch him from the corner of my eye, taking a sip of his coffee. He sighs as he swallows, then frowns. "I guess you're not as perfect as I thought."

"…What…?"

Neji faces me again. "I always thought you were…you know, the perfect guy with the perfect life. You're young, but you're in my grade and you're almost better than me. You get great grades without effort at all, as if you don't even have to study. You're really popular and you have a ton of friends. I always see you laughing with them like there's nothing on your chest at all. Not like me. I get so much pressure from my uncle to be perfect. I only have two friends, and the one girl that I've finally fallen in love with…she doesn't even want to talk to me."

I stare at him as he looks out at the wall again, eyes distant.

"But I guess no one's perfect," he says thoughtfully. "Not really."

"Hey, Neji." He looks at me, and I give him the best smile I can.

"Wanna start over?"

He smiles right back.

_**L**__augh __**t**__o __**L**__ive_

I've never really had to make a mental checklist before, but given the circumstances, I suppose there's always a first for everything.

One: Call mental mother to ask for ride home. Check.

Two: Recover from call to mental mother. Check.

Three: Call shady father at work. Check.

Four: Recover from call to shady father.

Five: Try to convince self that suicide is not the way and it'll only be one more year. Check.

Six: Note the word "_try_". Check.

Seven: Wait for mother to come, while recovering from life-scarring injury to hand.

I heave a sigh and look up, staring at the wall. This is where I've been for half an hour. What the hell is taking her? Is she going out for a coffee or something? I move to get up and take a small walk to stretch my legs, but my cell phone vibrates with a text. I groan aloud.

"Mother, if that's you I have a few choice words for…" My voice fades away, and I stare at the name on the screen for a while. It's a beautiful name; very smooth, rolls off the tongue with wonderful ease. "Temari…?" I didn't know I had her on my cell phone…oh, wait, I _do_ don't I? She's my lab partner in first hour, AP Chemistry. We're supposed to have each other's numbers.

I quickly open the text and read it with a calm enthusiasm.

_Ok, I usually don't do this, but you weren't in first hour, and I think I copied off of your homework last night. I don't know if you're not here today or if you just skipped first period, but do you want me to turn in your homework in sixth hour for you or what?_

From what it looks like, she's nervous about texting me, but trying her best to be casual. Good, that's a sign. And even better, she doesn't text with chat speak. She actually uses proper grammar. I'm not alone in the world!

My fingers fly to the keyboard. _Hey, I got_…I pause, the sentence unfinished, and think of what's best to say. _Hey, I got a slight injury this morning and was sent to the hospital, so I won't be coming to school today. I'll be there tomorrow. I don't remember giving you my homework yesterday, though. Are you sure you're not thinking about last week?_

She's quick to respond. _Oh, I was thinking of last week. Sorry to bother you, and sorry about your injury._

I smirk. How rushed, and with such an air of finality. As if I'm going to let it finish so quickly. _Are you sure you weren't just worried about my absence?_

This time she takes a little longer to respond, and every second it takes fills me with even more amusement. _Fine, wouldn't anyone be?_

Hm. I didn't expect her to admit it. I must get her more flustered. _Not anyone like you. You don't exactly seem like the type to care for very much. What's with your sudden concern about me?_

I press the send button, and this time it takes even longer to get a reply. I try not to laugh out loud, for fear it'll sound a little too bubbly; I often find myself freaking out over my own reactions.

_What's your injury anyways?_

_In short I broke my left wrist, don't ask for details. It's not my writing hand, so I'll be fine in school. You didn't answer my question._

She pauses again.

_Why do you care?_

Why am I so excited? My fingers dart to the buttons. _Because I'm constantly concerned about you as well._

I press send with exaggeration. Then, I freeze. "Oh, shit," I whisper. Did I really just say that? Did _I_ just say that? Did I just _say_ that?! Me?! Myself?! I?! Say?! That?! Did?! Just?! Really?!

Why?!

I look down at my vibrating phone and swallow hard, my adrenaline pumping. I probably just ruined everything with her, didn't I? I probably just killed every chance of…

Ah, screw it, let's just read the damn text and get it over with.

_Really? I guess you're not a bad guy, are you?_

…Okay. Okay, I like where this is going. Only one thing to say to that. _I guess I'm not._

_Hey, let's make a deal, okay?_

_It depends on the manner of the deal._

_One, stop making me laugh in the middle of class. _I make her laugh against her will? Dude, awesome. _Two, tomorrow, to make up for bothering me, you have to give me something._

I pause. What is she talking about? _I have to give you something? Like what?_

_Anything. Because I feel like getting you something yourself, and that is whatever you ask me for._

I grin. _Why?_

_Because you're officially a burden of society now that you're injured._

_Yeah, make me feel better._

_I said to stop making me laugh! _I'm on a roll. _Is there something in particular you'd like me to give you anyways?_

Without hesitation, my fingers move over the numbers very swiftly like clouds floating over air.

_A kiss sounds good._

It takes almost five minutes for her to respond. I fight the urge to laugh again. How cute, I scared her. I meant to. I haven't really been getting anywhere lately, and I don't want to end up like Neji and TenTen. Or maybe I do. They might end up better than they have been after that talk I had with Neji.

My phone vibrates, and I look down. _Fine. Just don't get too ahead of yourself, buddy. _I smirk victoriously. _And not until you give me something first. So i_s_ it a deal or what?_

I frown and look up, going over the options. What's to give her? I mean, I don't have any jewelry or anything. And I can't afford much that would suit her standards. Besides, my mother won't let me out of the house while I'm like this, it's a given. And I…

Crap, it's mom. I stare at her as she walks towards the glass doors, a stern, uptight expression on her face. Ah, now it's definite. I can't make that deal with Temari, no matter how much I'd like to. There's nothing I can…

Wait…I can always…

Yes! That's it!

I look back down at my phone. _It's a deal._

_Great. I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't forget to turn in your homework, lazy._

_I won't, bossy._

_Don't call me that! And now I'm going to have to shut up, the teacher's looking at me. It's your fault if I get my phone taken away, lazy!_

I smile down at the phone. I love it when she gets all pissed off. I don't know why, but the way I imagine her angry face is so adorable.

"_Shikamaru Nara_! Why are you sitting there reading text messages when your hand is in such a state! You should be resting! You shouldn't be texting _period_, how can you text with your hand like that?!"

"It's my _wrist_, inept mother!"

"What did you just call me?!"

Seven: Wait for mother to come, while recovering from life-scarring injury to hand. Check.

_**E**nd **P**art **T**wo_


	3. Colored Pencil

**S**ince FF-dot-net was being a bitch and wouldn't let me reply to everyone's reviews (there were about three of the same kind): _**It is **__**possible**__ to break a wrist with a_ _jacket, and I know because my friend Steffie (who has an account on here by_ _the way, you can send her a personal message - or ask a doctor - if you don't believe me) broke her_ _wrist by accidentally zipping her hand. She cut the skin so deep, she snapped_ _a few tendons, and incidentally broke her wrist. I've mentioned numerous times before that most of my stories are indeed based off of past experiences in my own life._

**F**rench  
**V**anilla

**N**eji:

I'd never thought a day could be classified as 'terrible' from the moment I woke up. Of course, yesterday was an exception. I mean, the moment I woke up to Shikamaru, I fell out of bed and realized I was late, then I crippled him. But, going against all my realistic and not in the least bit superstitious beliefs, I can't help but feel that life today is going to suck major hobo ass. And I am _not _the type of person to think those kinds of things rationally.

It's snowing. Again. I stare out the window and tilt my head to the side. I somewhat love the snow. Millions of little flakes, soft and fluffy, floating in a gentle decent down to the ground to melt among themselves in a wide white blanket that covers the cement. I remember when my father was alive, and he'd make a coffee for himself, a hot chocolate for me, and the two of us would sit in front of the front door and just watch the snow falling.

The snow, ever since he died, has reminded me of him. And for some reason, it's relaxing. It gives me somewhat of a peace of mind. Like I don't have to miss him. Like he's always here, in memory and in the love I still have for him.

The snow is such a beautiful thing to watch…

…Just…not to walk in…

"Fuck you, weatherman. You lied."

**P**art **T**hree –  
_Colored Pencil_

I don't know why I had to choose today. I mean, why is today so special, other than my jacket being covered in snow on an April morning? Why is today the day?

But…every time TenTen leans over and asks me for help on a question, every time she says, "Thank you!" with that cute little smile of hers, every time she blushes whenever I try to return it and turns away sheepishly, I just get this…_feeling_ tugging at my heart, and I remember Shikamaru's words. Probably some of the most inspirational stuff I've ever heard come out of his mouth.

_"Take a chill pill, gangster."_

…No, not those words…

_"Dude, you're infatuated. That was __sad__ though, really. If you want to flirt with her, you're gonna have to use a better method."_

I suppose I've always been nice to girls. I just think it's the right thing to do, you know? Treat them with respect, let them know you're a gentleman. But the thing is…I'm nice to _every_ girl. And that includes TenTen.

Which means, after all the thinking I've been doing after that talk with Shikamaru, I've realized the problem between TenTen and I. I've realized why I'm not getting anywhere with her, why all my efforts have just thrown us further apart.

I treat TenTen the same way I treat every other girl.

That doesn't mean I'm going to stop treating her nicely, or start treating her like crap. And that's only because I could never bring myself to do that, otherwise it might have worked. No, I suppose it's time to tell her the truth about how I feel about her. And today, is the chosen day to carry out that task.

But seriously, how easy is it to tell someone you would die for them? How easy can it be to tell a girl that you can't stop thinking about her, that every time she looks at you your heart wants to stop beating and your skin turns numb and you just want to hold her all day…?

It's not easy. Zero percent easy. Zip, nada, cero.

But…it's worth it, I suppose. So I have to at least try. I mean, it's the thought that counts, right?

"Neji? Are you alright? You look a little…pale."

"…I'm fine."

**S**hikamaru:

I'm tired. I am _so damn tired_. I swear, I'm going to fall asleep in one-

"Shikamaru, fall asleep and you get detention," Azuma barks, and I groan aloud and raise my head off the desk.

"You know that I already understand the material," I complain.

"_You_ know that I never give exceptions," Asuma retorts simply in response. "Now answer the question."

"…Which was?"

Asuma heaves a sigh, and Temari glares at me from my side. I ignore her; it's the best thing to do when she's like this. I mean, I don't know why she's so pissed at me. She's been throwing me dirty looks since I saw her, like I did something terrible that she'll never forgive. And I don't doubt that I did, I mean, I'm always doing something wrong around her. I won't sit up straight, I won't show my true potential…She never gives me a break!

"Alright. _Temari_, answer the question."

"Two hundred and twenty-six times one hundred and ninety-four to the fourteenth power," she recites easily from her homework, and Asuma nods. "Very good. Alright, Shino, answer the last question please…"

As the boy in the front of our row obeys, Temari glares at me one more time, and I've had it.

"What?" I hiss under my breath. "What's your problem?"

She turns to me with icy eyes, and I resist the urge to cringe; it's almost painful to look into them. "You know what my problem is, Shikamaru, you're just too thick-headed to realize it!" she whispers coldly.

"…Um…it's your birthday?" I guess hesitantly.

Temari looks furious, but before she can say anything, Asuma calls, "Okay, seniors, please come up to my desk and turn your homework in now. The announcement for your class meeting will probably come up in a few minutes, so I'll excuse you from checking it for today and check it myself later tonight."

Temari shuts her mouth tightly and gets up, snatching her homework in her hand and marching towards Asuma's desk.

I watch her walk away with confusion. I really don't get what the hell she's going on about, but whatever. I know just the thing to brighten her day.

As she's busy waiting in line to turn it in, chatting to a girl in front of her distractedly, I pull out a small folded note from my pocket and slip it into the front pocket of her bag sitting on the ground by her chair as discreetly as possible. She comes back and sits down without a word or a glance towards me, and I sigh and turn back to my notebook, open and ready for work. That definitely got a lot off of my chest. Now, the only thing holding me down is her answer…

"Okay, today we're going to continue with Advanced Stoichiometry," Asuma says, walking towards the chalk board with his hands in his pockets, looking tired. "Now, we've gone over the law of conservation of mass, but we haven't finished our lesson on the law of definite proportions. Can someone please explain that for me?"

The class is completely silent. Asuma's eyes scan the sea of students, and he frowns. "Did _anyone_ read the assigned pages last night?"

No one raises their hands, and he closes his eyes, thinning his lips. "Okay. This is becoming a normal process. Shikamaru…"

I rest my forehead in my hand. "Oh come on…" I mutter under my breath.

"Come on…"

I look up glumly, and recite blankly what I remember from reading in the book a couple days ago. "The law of definite proportions states that a chemical compound always contains the same proportion of elements by mass."

"Thank you. Temari, can you-"

"Why the hell do you keep calling on us?!"

"Yeah, seriously, it's getting annoying."

"…Shikamaru, Temari, remember that _I'm_ the _teacher_ and _you're_ the _students_," Asuma says darkly. We both don't say another word, and he smiles. "Okay! Now, Temari, can you tell me what this has to do with Stoichiometry?"

"…Um…" I look to the side, and see something adorable; Temari's confused face. Why the hell is it so cute?! Damn it, is she _trying _to give me a hard on or something?

"Just remember the definition of Stoichiometry," Asuma says.

"Well…chemical reactions combine in ratios of chemicals…"

"Yes…?"

"…Um…"

I try not to laugh. It's just too cute, how does she manage to seem so childlike sometimes, and then other times get to be such a bully?

"…Temari, remember that chemical reactions can neither destroy nor create matter."

"…Um…an element can not be transmuted into another…?"

"Well, yes, but Stoichiometry is connected to the law of definite proportions because the amount of each element stays the same throughout the reaction."

"…Oh…"

"See, you understand."

"…Yeah…"

I find myself snorting behind my hand, unable to take it. She hears, and gives me the dirtiest look I've ever seen, which only amuses me more, and I keep on having to stifle my laughter with my wrist.

And so starts the chain reaction that causes me to get more and more amused, and Temari to get more and more pissed off.

**N**eji:

This is the only class I have with TenTen. The _only class_. This is _not_ the time to get squeamish.

God, I've been telling myself that for the entire hour. And class is almost halfway over. I'm so lucky English is my forte; I haven't been paying attention this entire time. I've only been searching for the best way to tell her. There _is_ no other way, other than telling her at lunch.

I turn my head to her, and can't help but get lost in her eyes, which are turned towards me curiously as well. Brown, and so warm and sweet, sparkling with chocolate and caramel. She's always so comforting to look at, to listen to, to talk to, to touch…Always cheerful, and happy, and lighthearted. A slight pessimist, but funny…

At the same time, we seem to realize we're staring…er…_very deeply_ into each other's eyes, and turn away again quickly.

And…_this_ is exactly the issue. We get embarrassed too easily. What are we afraid of? What's the worst that can happen, other than hurting the relationship we've had for so many years? Sure, friendship is fine. But love…love is different. Love…you can't stop it. You can't stop it from happening.

I love her. I do, I know it. But…if I don't tell her soon I won't have any other chance, other than at lunch. I don't even see her anywhere, other than at lunch. After this, other than at lunch, I won't get another time to tell her. If I fail this, then, unless I tell her at lunch, I won't ever tell he-

…Lunch…

Hey, you know…_That_ sounds like a good time to tell her.

…Why can't I think of these things _earlier_?

**S**hikamaru:

"…And to demonstrate the amount of moles, you'll be coloring the graph with the colored pencils I passed around to all of you," Asuma finishes the instructions.

Damn. I hate graphs. I look to the side and see Temari already working on hers. That chick is fast. "Wow," I say aloud, looking down at the paper.

She frowns up at me. "What?" she snaps.

"Nothing, you're just really quick, is all," I say defensively.

"I have a class meeting to go to, of course I'm going to be quick," she said stiffly, turning back to her work. "I don't want homework, now stop distracting me."

"Er, actually, I was gonna ask a favor…" I continue nervously.

Temari, slowly and dangerously, looks up at me. "Whatever makes you think I'd give you one," she says contemptuously. ", go ahead and give it your best shot."

…Scary.

"Uh…my hand is kind of ruined, I can't hold the paper down to draw the lines on the graph. Could you do it for me...please?"

She gives me the coldest of stares, as if going over it for a while in her mind. I stare right back at her as wide-eyed and innocently as possible. But it doesn't work, for she turns back to her graph and says shortly, "No."

"…_What_?"

"I said no."

"Oh come on." I cross my arms on the desk and stuff my head into them. "This sucks…" I mutter, feeling defeated and helpless.

"It's your own fault. After all, you're a crippled burden of society," Temari says, sounding content with my misery.

"I'm going to fail this, you know."

"Yay," she says dully. "You deserve it."

"Temari, what hell must I have given you to make me deserve this?" I demand of her finally, turning my head to the side to look at her.

She frowns at me, narrowing her eyes icily. "Exactly, Shikamaru, it's what you _didn't give me_!" she says in mad exasperation.

"…Huh?" I still don't know what she's on about.

She stares at me, open mouthed. "You're unbelievable!" she cries, voice fortunately hidden by the busy chatter of the rest of the classroom. I wince at the volume, in any case, as she continues angrily. "If you didn't care about me from the beginning why were you treating me like…Gah, you're such a thickheaded _idiot_!"

I blink. "…But I do ca-" Suddenly the loudspeakers crackle into life, interrupting me, and the entire class goes quiet to listen.

_"Seniors, please report to the auditorium for the class meeting. Seniors, auditorium for the class meeting. Thank you."_

Temari's moving in five seconds flat. Before I can even say a short goodbye, she's packed up and out of here.

I see something flutter from the pocket of her bag she slings over her shoulder carelessly; the folded note.

My eyes widen, and I sit up a little to stare at the crowd of seniors that begin to leave, two girls running up to catch up to Temari and chatter stupidly about something she obviously doesn't care about. The crowd stomps on the note, the note that I spent half an hour deciding exactly how to make, and another half hour actually making, last night. And by the time the crowd recedes, it's gone, probably stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe or something.

"Women…" I mutter under my breath, staring at the empty graph paper in front of me with a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Hey, Shikamaru!"

I turn around glumly to acknowledge the ingrate behind me. "What?" I mutter to the kid. I don't even know his name, what the hell is it with people knowing me that I've never met before?

"Is it true, what I've heard about your hand?"

I am so not in the mood for this.

"Because everyone knows about it."

I blink in surprise. "What?" I turn all the way around in my seat to face him. "What do you mean? Does everyone know what happened?"

He grins and nods. "Yeah! I heard you were with Neji _all yesterday_," he says suggestively. "I just want to know…why would you ditch Temari for _him_?"

"…_What?!_"

It's official. My life sucks major hobo ass.

"Alright, cut the chatter and finish your graphs, class!"

Turning back to my paper, I try my hardest not to break my colored pencil in half. I swear, I am gonna stick that pale-assed, arrogant, know-it-all, fat, ugly son-of-a-bitch Hyuuga in the most deadly, no-chance-of-survival fucking _incinerator_ one way or another, if it's the last thing I do.

**N**eji:

Lunch. Okay, lunch. It's lunch. That's great. It's great that it's lunch. Yes.

"Neji? Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

Shit!

"TenTen, don't _do_ that!" I complain, backing up as she laughs sheepishly. I hate it when she just pops up out of nowhere in front of my face. Not only is it adorable, it scares the hell out of me! I heave a sigh as I push Lee away, who seems determined to check my temperature, and continue walking down the yellow hallway. "I'm fine, why do you keep asking?"

"Because you really don't look good," she says, nervously catching up to me and squeezing past Lee to walk next to me. My heart swoops at the blush on her face, the concerned expression stretching her round features. It's almost like she's embarrassed at being so interested in me. But I love the feeling; the feeling that she's watching me, that she cares about me…

"Neji! I do not mean to interrupt what I am sure are well-thought musings, but my friend, I am quite certain you are going to walk into that-"

"…Ouch."

"...door…" Lee squeaks to a finish, and sighs as TenTen squeals something about a fever.

I put a hand to my forehead and give Lee the deadliest of glares. If he hadn't drawn out that explanation with a thousand different unnecessary adjectives, I wouldn't have done that. And right in front of TenTen…"…Thanks, Lee. That helped," I mutter sarcastically, pulling the cafeteria doors open. "Why the hell did they close these things?" I grumble furiously, dragging myself over to the nearest table and sitting down.

"There was a senior class meeting in here not too long ago," TenTen says softy, sitting across from me. She's still red in the face, and as Lee stops by the edge of the table and looks in between us, he seems to notice it as well, for he says, "TenTen, Neji, did you two _each _catch a fever? You both look…terrible."

"Wow, thanks, Lee," TenTen snaps loudly, seeming very on-edge. "You know, that's not exactly the most _polite_ thing to say to a girl!"

"I-I'm sorry! It's just that you both seem so…frustrated recently! Would you like me to get lunch for you two, to make up for my rude comment?"

"I'm not hungry," we both mumble at the same time, and when I look up at her, she blushes, gives a very unladylike sort of squeak, and covers her mouth with both of her hands. Then, she proceeds to stare very determinedly at the table.

Lee blinks, then shrugs. "All right…I will be back with my own lunch, please wait for me." He leaves, and it immediately feels as though a weight has been lifted from my chest as I stare at TenTen, who seems to be quite interested in the fake granite design on the plastic tabletop.

We're alone. This is it. Lee's going to be a while, the cafeteria line is always extremely long. No one else is even near us. She's right across from me, right now, and…

And I'm just sitting here staring at her. I groan aloud, and look up at the ceiling, at the cheap fluorescents and pipes threaded against each other, lighting up the white room with a sickly pinkish glow. "Are you okay…?" I can hear TenTen ask again meekly, and I sigh and close my eyes, looking down again.

"No," I admit. "I feel queasy."

She gasps. "I knew you were sick! Here, you should call home, I'm sure-"

"It's not that!" I interrupt her rudely, and I open my eyes to look at her seriously. She's staring at me, eyes wide and worried, pink staining her cheeks and the bridge of her nose cutely. "It's not like that…" I start again softly. She closes her mouth expectantly, and I suddenly do the boldest thing I've ever done around her.

I grab her hand tightly on the table top.

She blinks in surprise, and stares at our hands, connected. I glance at them too. It looks right…my hand, pale and with long fingers, larger than hers, holding it tightly. Her palms are warm and rough, unlike my smooth and cold ones, and soon they start to sweat a little with nerves. I'm not sweating at all. Of course, that's always been me. No emotion, no nothing, really. Except…except for her…

Her skin is tanner than mine, and her fingers splayed inside of my grip look…Well, anyone who didn't know us that saw our hands would guess that she was the cheerful one. And that's just true. Her hands aren't perfect. No, far from it. Her fingernails aren't well-kept, and the cuticles aren't even pushed up, like most girls. But she…she _isn't_ like most girls…She's _not_ perfect, like most girls. She's not the prettiest thing in the world, although I have to admit she's very, very pretty. She's a little airheaded, but oh-so-independent, always standing up for herself.

She's…impulsive, unlike me. I hesitate. I'm perfect, I'm always so damn…perfect, and that just ruins _everything_.

No. Not anymore. I'm going to make the biggest mistake of my life, and I'm going to _love _it, as much as I love her…

"…Neji…?" she whispers, looking up at me. She's scared, I can tell, as my eyes meet hers. Hell, I am too. But I'm not going to stop because of that…

"TenTen…" I murmur, and I love the way her name rolls off of my tongue. It's hard to say. Her hand is hard to hold. She's hard to talk to, hard to listen to, and I love it all… "I can't…keep it in forever…" I continue. "You're…I…" I shake my head, laughing a little under my breath. "See, just now, I don't even know what to say to you. It's like you're capable of stopping all rationality, stopping me from thinking…Eh, you _are_ capable of that, TenTen…"

"…What are you saying…?" she asks softly.

I look up at her again, and give her the best smile I can. I can see it in her eyes; she's smiling too, she's _excited_…

"TenTen…I-"

"Hey, you," a cold voice suddenly interrupts me.

In an instant, it's all over. The moment is broken. TenTen and I snatch our hands away from each other, and I turn to face…Shikamaru.

I have never, _never_ been so angry in my entire life. "…This has got to be the worst time…Seriously, if you have something to say, get it out. I really don't need you bothering me with your issues right now," I say darkly.

TenTen's looking back and forth between us nervously, as if trying to contemplate what's going on. Shikamaru looks furious. "Yeah, well, I'm going to. I'm gonna bother you with my issues, because at this moment, Hyuuga, my issues are officially _your damn issues_," he snaps.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I mutter. "I'm not in the mood."

"Yeah? Well, neither am I," he says. "Listen, just because your life sucks doesn't mean you have to ruin mine too!"

"_What_?!" I stand up furiously. He has the nerve to…?! "What are you asking for, another injury?! Because I'd gladly give it to you!" TenTen bites her lip and holds up a hand, but Shikamaru interrupts her before she can talk.

"Oh no, _you_ deserve the injury! And if I was as stupid as you, I'd give you one, right here, right now, and you could consider it reparations for ever walking into my life!"

I grit my teeth. "You're honestly the most pathetic person I've ever met."

He fists a hand. "Am I? Then it's your fault. So if you have something to say to me, say it right now, to my face! Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you shorten it to a minimum of two words? I have a life to mend!"

He wants two words? I'll give him two words. I slam a hand on the table and say "_Douche bag_," articulately clear and quite sarcastically.

Shikamaru seems to have had enough. He spares me one final appalled and angry expression, then turns on his heel and marches right out of the cafeteria.

I sit back down, fold my arms on the table, and slam my face into them, groaning once and finishing it all.

TenTen's absolutely silent, but I can tell she's confused out of her mind. I hear footsteps advancing from the right, and look up.

It's Lee. He's holding a lunch tray with a gigantic salad on it, and a water bottle in his other hand. Lee blinks, glancing at me, then at TenTen.

"…Did I…miss something…?"

_**E**__nd __**P**__art __**T**__hree_


	4. Chimney Stack

**F**rench  
**V**anilla

**S**hikamaru:

Temari obviously doesn't know how to answer a goddamn cell phone. I've tried about fifty times between last night and this morning to call and/or text her, and she doesn't reply to anything. Actually, her cell phone is off. She may be trying to avoid me.

Who the hell am I kidding? She _is _trying to avoid me.

"Shikamaru, it's Sunday! Stop sitting in your room like some emo brat and come downstairs!"

"Oh shut up, Chouji!" Why is he over here anyways?! He makes a habit of slipping into my house and making himself at home, although I'm starting to suspect a bit of an evil intention, judging by the way he always runs immediately to the kitchen and lets my otherwise terrifying mother stuff him with sweets.

"But I have good news!" he sings, attempting temptation, from outside of my door.

"Unless it's something that can put my life back together, I don't-!"

"_Shikamaru Nara, _stop yelling in my house!"

Snapping my mouth shut, I slam my head into my crossed arms on my desk in front of me. Of course, she doesn't snap at Chouji, just me. And wasn't she just yelling herself? She should sort out her strategies.

You know what, I blame Temari. She is making my life hell. I mean, she's the most beautiful girl I've ever met, she can make me laugh like no one else, and her smile is absolutely gorgeous. But it's like she's going out of her way to drive me crazy.

"And she doesn't know how to answer a goddamn cell phone!"

"_Shikamaru_, what did I just say?!"

"Oh come on, that wasn't even that loud!"

**P**art **F**our –  
_Chimney Stack_

_Hey, let's make a deal, okay?_

I can't stop thinking about her.

_Tomorrow, to make up for bothering me, you have to give me something._

I hear her voice in my head. And she didn't even _say_ that out loud!

_Because I feel like getting you something yourself, and that is whatever you ask me for._

Damn it! It was all going so smoothly and then I had to go and…god, I'm such an idiot.

_"I don't care what you say about me. But don't embarrass TenTen."_

My eyes widen. I stare at my desk beneath me and bite my cheek. Chouji's long gone by now. I know it. So why do I still have that familiar…_warm_ feeling? That feeling…I _know _it. It's the feeling that…someone understands me. Someone _knows_ me…

_"I always thought you were…you know, the perfect guy with the perfect life. You're young, but you're in my grade and you're almost better than me. You get great grades without effort at all, as if you don't even have to study. You're really popular and you have a ton of friends. I always see you laughing with them like there's nothing on your chest at all."_

What was Neji thinking when he said that? Me? Happy? Popular? I wish.

"_You're not like me. I get so much pressure from my uncle to be perfect. I only have two friends, and the one girl that I've finally fallen in love with…she doesn't even want to talk to me."_

Stupid idiot. He doesn't know what he has, TenTen is _smitten_ with him!

_"But I guess no one's perfect. Not really."_

…I guess not.

I feel myself stand up without really any will to.

I think I know what that feeling is. The warm feeling, the warm satisfied feeling of knowing that you are understood. Yeah, sure, you feel good when you know there's at least _one_ person that gets you.

But you're _really_ lucky when you have _more_ than one. And _that _is the warm feeling I can recognize _any_where.

**N**eji:

"So remind me why you're here," I say as politely as I can across the little table in my living room to Shikamaru.

"It's kind of hard to say," he says slowly with a sheepish laugh. I watch him, and try not to act as bitterly towards him as I feel.

It's…really hard, actually…

He seems to notice how much I _really_ don't want to see his fat ugly face, and he coughs. "Um…Listen, I know you probably don't need my company right now."

"Need or want," I reply slowly. I sigh. "But I'll listen…This gives me an excuse to take a break from Trigonometry."

"…Yeah." Shikamaru folds his arms on the table and closes his eyes. "I…don't really know where to begin…"

Suddenly the door opens, and we both turn to see Hinata coming in. There's a gigantic box of cereal tucked under her left arm, and a tray of _four_ whole coffees balancing in her right hand. She struggles to close the door with her left hand and her foot, and notices us staring at her.

"Oh, hello," she says, giving us a blushing, flustered smile, some hair splayed across her face. "Would you two like a coffee, by any chance? I got three extras. Apparently I stop by the corner store so many times a day they've decided to buy me a couple free things."

"That explains the three extra cereal boxes you had this morning," I say comfortably as Shikamaru stares at the girl with confusion. "I'll have a coffee. Shikamaru?"

"…Uh, sure, I could use one…" he says slowly.

Hinata lilts over, and slides the coffees off the tray with skill. She breaths out deeply, shaking some stray snowflakes from her shoulders. We stare at her, she stares at us.

"Well. Enjoy them," she excuses herself, and in a flash she's up the stairs.

"So…that's your sister?"

"No, my cousin. I live here with my uncle."

"…Oh! Really? Huh…"

"Yeah."

"…Your cousin seems…nice."

"…She's sweet, but I have my beliefs that she's slightly challenged."

"Ah."

"Yep."

"…So…"

"Well…it's French Vanilla."

"Huh."

"And…"

"And…?"

"You were at 'the beginning'."

"…Right."

**S**hikamaru:

Neji's proven to be better company that I thought he would. At least, taking a sip of this delicious coffee is helping me to find my words.

He watches me expectantly, and I take the cup from my lips, and hold it between my bandaged hand and my normal one. I look down at the rim of it, seeing some of the sweet beverage drifting around it nonchalantly. How I wish I could be that calm, that mellow.

I decide to say that out loud. Neji looks up at me. "You wish that?"

"Yeah. I hate it when troublesome crap comes into my life, like Temari, and like the zipper, and…" I sigh in frustration, letting my weight drop on the tiny little table and my arm spread out along it. "It's just, the things that I seem to care about the _most _in life come to me in the ways that I _hate_, but…at least, that's how I _used_ to feel."

Neji fingers his untouched coffee in disinterest. "As in you no longer feel that way?"

"Yeah!" I prop my chin on my arm. "And you're the one I have to come to, because you understand as well, right?"

Neji slowly looks up at me. "So you come to my house on a Sunday night, when it's snowing and I'm in the middle of Trigonometry homework I don't think I'll ever complete correctly to tell me you believe I _understand_ you?"

"…Damn straight."

He heaves a long, suppressed sigh, and lifts the coffee to his lips. He looks back at me, swallows, and says, "Well, you're right." I blink in surprise and lift my chin off my arm. "I do understand." He sets the coffee back down on the table, but does not let go of it. "Go on," he orders morosely.

I sit up straight again. "Well…" I search my mind for something to continue. "I think…What I really came over for was to tell you that I'm not going to hide from my problems anymore. Because they just come to me anyway. And I'm sorry for what I said to you, because we both kind of got ourselves into our own messes." I cross my arms on the table and look determinedly at him. "No one's perfect. Especially not us. But together…we give each other what we're missing, and I think that's what…makes me feel better about myself."

Neji stares at me, and takes another long drink of his coffee. I watch him, waiting for a response. He smiles suddenly, and looks at me again. "I think that's why I can love TenTen. You know?"

I grin. "Yup. I know what you mean."

"It's…_perfect_, for once."

I pick up my coffee with a shake of my head. "No, not perfect. There's always a piece missing, right?"

He taps a finger against the rim of his. "True."

We examine each other for a while, then both smirk, take a long drink of our French Vanilla coffees, and set them down with a splash on the table.

We both have a path to go down, and we might as well hurry up on it.

_**L**__augh to __**L**__ive_

I am so pathetic. I'm walking through a crowded hallway, and I can't even make my way through it.

"Dude, Shikamaru, watch yourself."

I wince; shit. I just ran into Chouji. The can be one hell of a depressing experience, seriously. He has a painful tendency of stepping on your feet. "Sorry, man," I mumble, patting his chest slightly with my good hand. "I'm…tired. Had a hard time driving here, you know…"

"Uh huh." He turns so he's walking the same way I am. "I'm unconvinced. You wouldn't even come out from your room yesterday. Were you tired then too?"

"…Eh."

"…That's all you have to say. 'Eh'? Seriously?"

"…Yes."

"_Man_, you're so stupid sometimes." He grabs me by the arm and yanks me to the side of the hallway, out of the traffic. "Listen, we have two minutes before school starts, so let's make this short and brief but just as memorable. I have some good news that unfortunately you wouldn't even _listen_ to yesterday."

I look at Chouji, but then I see Temari over his shoulder. She's talking to this really skinny girl from her grade, and looks kinda bored. _Wow_, she looks good. Her hair's up in these low pigtail…things. It's cute, it's really funny. Why do I think cute things are funny? I'm messed up, I know. I'm obsessed with her. But who can blame me? I mean, that body is _amazing_. I love the fact that she's not too skinny. Like the girl she's talking to. She has this weird frizzy brown hair, and she's like a fucking _stick_. Temari has…_curves_. Like the curves that make you wake up in the middle of the night after a you-know-what kind of dream, and say 'Holy damn'. And she has these _thighs_. They're not skinny, but they're not fat, they're just…_thick_, like her calves. Ah, thick calves are so _hott_ when it comes to Temari, especially when she wears shorts…Oh my _god_, I hate it when she wears those jean shorts, though, I can _never_ look away, it's just…It's like, _hypnotizing_, I want to fucking _drool_, that or grab her and pull her into a secluded room and-

"Shikamaru."

I blink and turn to Chouji. "Yes?"

He frowns at me disapprovingly. "You know, I hate it when people don't listen to me." He's suddenly whining. "Shikamaru, this is _really_ good news! News you can _appreciate_!"

"Um…" I clear my throat. "What was it again?"

"You weren't listening."

"I…forgot."

Chouji sighs. "Fine, I guess you don't care about me and Ino."

"Chouji, you know I…_what_?!"

Woops. A little too loud. The entire hallway turns to stare, which is an annoying habit kids in High School seem to have. Temari stares as well, and there's a terribly heartbreaking moment in which we share a glance, which is broken when I realize why I let out that stupid little outburst in the first place.

"You're going out with her?! Seriously?!" I switch back to Chouji, and suddenly all sullen thoughts of Temari are swept away. That's an amazing thing about friends, you can forget about romance for a couple hours or days or so and be happy for _them_.

"Yeah, I asked her out and she accepted, I suppose," Chouji says with a shrug and a grin. "So you _do_ care!"

Ignoring the awkwardness of that statement, I grab Chouji's arm, grinning. "Dude, that's _awe_some! Nice job, man!"

He laughs, and I try not to glance at Temari too often. She's just…_staring_ at me, not even listening to what the girl talking to her is saying. No, no. It's _Chouji's_ moment, right?!

I mean…_everyone's _getting lucky but me…So I should be _happy_ for them, right? You know, Chouji and Ino, those two kids making out in a corner, Neji and TenTen over there by the doors…

_What?!_

"Oh, hey, I see her now. Later, man." Chouji pats me on the shoulder and walks away. My eyes are stuck on the two.

Neji has just pulled TenTen by the hand, yanked her over to the side of the hallway, and now she's looking like Jesus just landed in her front yard.

What. The. Fuck?

_Why is everyone getting lucky but me?!_

**N**eji:

Okay. This is it. This is totally it. I'm telling her _now_, and there's nothing anyone or anything can do about it. Okay, maybe that book she just dropped will. _No_! I _will_ pick it up!

Shit. She's staring. Staring at me as I lean over awkwardly and grab her book. I quickly look down at the stupid thing as I get back up and hand it to her. "Sorry," I say under my breath, handing it to her. "It's probably my fault, I was…er, violent."

"It's…not your fault. My hands are kinda sweaty, haha." She laughs sheepishly and wipes one of her hands on her skirt…

Skirt?

My eyes stray slowly down to the little brown thing. It's made of some sort of fluffy corduroy…_stuff_, and it looks pretty fashionable, along with these knit brown Uggs and mittens and a hat…

Oh fuck it all, she's _adorable_. Why does she do this to me? Every day since I realized how much I loved the stupid girl, she's been dressing up! Or maybe I've only just started realizing it. I mean, I've been her _friend_ all her life, and she's been mine, and suddenly…_this_, and…she suddenly looks so…

"Pretty…"

She blushes automatically, and I realize what I just said. Aloud. To her. I cough, and try to cover myself up. "U-Um…yeah, you look…pretty…" I say meekly.

"…Thank you!" she's barely able to squeak.

"…Yeah…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…So…what…what is it you needed to talk to me about…?"

"What…? Oh!" I resist the urge to hit myself. How the hell could I forget? Well…it…it started out like…_this_ last time…Taking her hands in mine, without really realizing it.

"I can't…really find the words…but…just deal with me, please…"

I'm not going to let it pass me by again. It's like a candle that I can't let die.

"I just…can't hold it in any more, and it's like…I know I've been your best friend for…_ever_, and I know it's weird, and I know you always feel awkward around me, because…_I_ feel awkward around _you_. But that…that's just one of the reasons I'm _sure_ of it!"

"…Neji…"

I shake my head. "No, just…listen, I'm not going to end up like Shikamaru, and he's not going to end up like me. We're not the same, I don't even _like_ the stupid kid. And I'm not going to end up as someone I don't like." I stare into her eyes as earnestly as I can, I can feel her hands sweating in mind and I don't care. "I don't want to hate myself anymore," I say softly. "And…you…"

…What…?

Wait, what's going on?

I…I don't…get it…

_When did I kiss her?!_

She parts from me, though, as soon as I realize _she_ kissed _me_, and, with this sugary-sweet, magical, heart-wrenching smile she says, "I love you too, Neji."

I stare at her, wide-eyed.

"…Oh." She laughs a little, eyes darting towards mine and away constantly. "That's…that's good…"

She laughs again, and lets me kiss her back. Which is absolutely fantastic. I mean, love isn't as complicated as it seems, is it?

It's…_simple_, really…

**S**hikamaru:

"Hey!"

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

I turn to Temari, who's pushing past a few people trying to get into the classroom.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

She gives this smile that makes me want to stab my eyes out.

Oh shit, oh _shit_.

It's so painful. Is that smile for me? Do I seriously deserve it?

"Listen," she starts almost eagerly, but I give her one nervous, breathless look, and speed-walk into the classroom.

Oh shit.

I can see from the corner of my eye her exasperated, disappointed look, but Asuma says, "Alright, kids, a _test_ is today, so hurry up and get in your seats, and _shut up_ if you want a good grade!"

Good. She slips next to me and leans over, however, and starts to whisper, "Okay, about yesterday-"

"Temari, Shikamaru! Flirt _after_ class, for the last time!"

Temari groans under her breath and glares at me like it's my fault. Personally, I'm very satisfied. No problems from here on out, right? I smile smugly and discreetly as I take one of the tests that's being passed out.

This thing looks like it's going to take the entire hour.

Perfect.

…

…Huh. It seems I am a cowardly bitch. Wow, I should…I should really join a group or something…

The test isn't as hard as I thought it would be, and I fly through it quickly. But I make a point to double-check it, and when the hour's finally over, and my test is finally completed, I jump to my feet. I swear, I am getting out of this school as soon as I can, it's like some sort of prison.

I make my way through the hall, but unfortunately Temari's smarter than I thought. Hell, she's brilliant. Okay, maybe not as smart as _I_ am…

…Huh. It seems I am full of myself as well. I think there's some sort of club that meets in the school's boiler room every Friday morning called TLCL. Teenagers Living Challenged Lives. Yeah…

Caught up in my idiotic thoughts, I'm pulled by Temari to the side of the hallway, and she grabs my arm, kisses me and…

Holy shit…

I think I'm dead. No, seriously. Is this what being dead feels like? Because it's amazing. This could _never_ happen in real life. I'm making out with Temari Subaku. Yeah. I'm dead. I am so dead. Or dreaming. Yes, dreaming. This is another one of _those_ dreams, just not as hard core or sexy or…

Well…it _is_ just as…fucking _amazing_…

When we part after a while, I stare at her in bewilderment, and she smiles. "I owed you that, didn't I?" she says breathlessly. "By the way, sure, I'll go out with you."

My eyes widen. She…got my note?

…Oh. I get it. Some kid must have given it to her in the assembly or something. Hah. I can see her now, reading the thing in the middle of some speech about why fifty percent of our school's senior class is currently contemplating suicide and what they can do about it, and she's grinning away thinking about what an idiot she was…

I am on a goddamn _roll_! Sweet!

"Um…I'm pretty sure I said _two_ kisses…" I mumble almost hopefully.

She laughs aloud, and kisses me again, and holy _shit_ it's awesome. I can't believe it. I've never been happier. There it is, as I pull her closer and caress her gently, that same old feeling. Warm and familiar. Like sipping a hot cup of French Vanilla coffee, like that one armed hug Chouji gives me whenever he's really happy, like shaking Neji's hand…

"...I think you said _three_ kisses…"

"No, I said twenty seven."

"…Yeah, that sounds about right."

**N**eji:

I never thought a day could be better. A day filled with holding hands with TenTen, sharing smiles with TenTen, and Lee running around screaming about the powers of love. I don't really know what the hell that was about, but you know. I'm used to it. Hinata and her cereal, Hanabi and her tutu, my uncle and his…maliciousness…

You know, I figure once you can survive my family, you can weather anything, eventually.

But now, the day is over, and I have only to go home, do my homework, go to sleep, and wait for another one. And another. And another. And then a thousand more, forever, with TenTen, and Lee, and my freaky family…

So now, I just have to walk home and I figure I'll wait it out till then.

I open the doors of the school, and blink. God damn it, when will this snow _melt _already? I have to _walk_ in this?

"Oi, Hyuuga!"

I blink and turn around. Was that Kiba? Sometimes he feels the need to say hello to me out his car window, and every time I wonder why the hell he even bothers, because I barely ever talk to the kid anyways, and…

…What the hell…?

Shikamaru grins out his open car window. "Hey! Want a ride?"

…Ah, whatever. The sun is shining, the snow is glittering, the kids in the parking lot are running around yelling to each other, and I have a ride with heat. Spring will be well worth the wait, but the wait is kind of nice too, isn't it?

"…Yeah, sure!"

Life is weird, and I'm used to it.

"Get your ass in here, it's fucking cold!"

I mean, I can't expect it to be perfect, right?

_**E**__nd __**P**__art __**F**__our_

**F**IN


End file.
